Fossilization 101

Studying fossils is critical to understanding how life evolved on Earth. They can help us understand plants and animals that have been extinct for millions of years and our own human evolutionary ancestors. Over 40 million fossils have been collected worldwide by professionals and hobbyists, but this is estimated to be a record of less than 1% of all the animals that have ever lived on the Earth. With so much still to find, it's essential to understand the process of fossilization, what qualifies as a fossil, and how paleontologists, geologists, biologists, and more study them.